Thaw at last in Pak-India relations


Thaw at last in Pak-India relations

THIMPHU: The prime ministers of Pakistan and India have agreed to normalize bilateral relations stalled after Mumbai attacks, saying the only way forward is through dialogue.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh here at the PM house of Bhutan.

The one-on-one meeting between the two prime ministers lasted for one hour. Earlier, the two leaders spoke with each other for ten-minute in the presence of delegations of the two countries.

Following the above meeting, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao held separate press conferences here.

Qureshi described the meeting as highly positive which discussed all the outstanding issues including Kashmir and Siachin.

He said Pakistan Prime Minister invited Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan which the latter accepted.

Yusuf Raza Gilani assured his Indian counterpart that Pakistan will bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks.

In reply to a query, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the extradition of Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor who was allegedly involved in Mumbai attacks, did not come under discussion at the meeting.

He informed that interior ministers of SAARC countries would have a meeting in Pakistan on 26th June, which he hoped would be also be attended by Indian home minister.

Qureshi said the two sides have admitted presence of a trust deficit between the two countries. “The foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India have been tasked with bridging the trust gap . it is foreign ministers’ job to eliminate the trust deficit.”

He said all the outstanding issues will be resolved at the dialogue table.

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao also declared the meeting between the two PMs as positive.

“Prime Minister expressed India’s concern over the slow progress of Mumbai trial in Pakistan to Prime Minister Gilani,” Rao said.

Singh told Gilani that India was willing to discuss all issues of mutual concern through dialogue but the issue of terrorism is holding back the progress, she said.

It was decided by the two prime ministers that foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of the two countries should meet as soon as possible to “restore trust and confidence” in the relations, said Rao.




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